Nine Tips For Finding Happiness
Experts have continued to study the science of happiness over the past few decades to determine what causes happiness, how individuals can cultivate and experience happiness, and how to maintain happiness in everyday life, regardless of one’s outward circumstances. For many, part of understanding happiness is knowing what it means. The APA defines happiness as an emotion of joy, gladness, satisfaction, and well-being.
While many experts agree that happiness isn’t something that “happens” to a person and that many areas of achieving happiness may be out of their control, there are a few ways you can cultivate more moments of joy and happiness in your daily life.
Finding happiness: Nine tips for increasing moments of happiness
Below are nine expert tips to feel happier in your daily life.
1. Realize that perfection may not be possible
Expecting perfection out of your daily experience may reduce your moments of happiness. As mistakes are often a part of being human, having a perfectionist outlook may make you more prone to self-criticism, which could lower self-esteem and increase feelings of sadness, guilt, shame, or other unwanted emotions. Acknowledging and accepting that mistakes can happen may help you feel more moments of joy. In addition, studies show that those who take healthy risks are often happier in life.
To reduce these negative emotions, you may focus on making progress over achieving perfection. Strive to keep your goals moving in a productive direction, and celebrate your victories on a regular basis, regardless of how insignificant they may feel in the moment. If you make a mistake or don’t complete a goal, consider it an opportunity for growth and learning.
2. Learn to forgive
Difficulty forgiving yourself or others may cause bitterness and resentment. However, feeling happy when you are resentful or angry on a deeper level can be difficult. Although ending romantic or social relationships that no longer serve you can be healthy, holding onto anger for years may cause painful emotions. Even if you choose not to forget the situation or forgive the people involved, taking specific steps to move forward from the incident can be beneficial. Working through resentment can be a form of self-care, and forgiveness is a choice.
In addition, there may be times when the person you struggle to forgive is yourself. If you live with guilt or shame over any “wrongs” you believe you’ve caused for others, examine the circumstances and try to make changes. Ask for forgiveness from others if you need to; regardless of how they respond, consider forgiving yourself. If you have made a mistake you cannot repair, forgiving yourself can help you feel safe, cared for, and comfortable as you work to improve – and you may end up feeling happier as a result.
3. Look for opportunities to be with other people
Shifting the focus from your mental state may improve your mood. Studies suggest that happiness is contagious, so being around happy people and their positive emotions can help you as you pursue happiness. Connecting with friends or family, or having a best friend to go through life with, may help you find joy.
Volunteering can help one find happiness
Volunteering may also help you find happiness. When you can commit to making others happy, it can have a positive impact on your well-being. In addition, offering gratitude and kindness can make you feel a sense of purpose or meaning in the lives of others.
4. Change your self-talk
Thoughts can have a significant influence on behavior, mood, and self-beliefs. If you’re experiencing a lot of negative self-talk, you might be impacting your mood without realizing it. Taking a moment to think about how you’re talking to yourself and the thoughts you have about yourself, then replacing them with facts or more positive thoughts may help you improve your mood. One way to go about this process is by writing positive affirmations each day or speaking them out loud. The following are some examples of affirmations you can use, but you can also come up with your own:
- “I am strong, and I can get through any situation.”
- “I believe in myself.”
- “Even when it is hard, I promise to try to give myself compassion.”
- “I deserve to feel happy.”
- “Life is worth living, even with pain.”
- “I am a beautiful influence on this world.”
- “I can’t wait to see what my future holds for me.”
5. Avoid living in the past to find happiness
Finding happiness and success in the present may be difficult if you spend most of your time thinking about the past. Whether your past positively or negatively influences your life, it can take away from the present moment. Activities like mindfulness can increase happiness by allowing you to ground yourself in the present and feel at one with those around you. Studies have also found that it can reduce severe stress, anxiety, or depression in adults.
6. Try not to anticipate the future
Waiting for a future event or feeling may detract from your ability to shape your happiness in the present. When you rely on the future to bring you happiness in the form of a new job, new partner, or new belongings – which many people rate high on the happiness scale in the moment – you might find that the happiness is only temporary each time you achieve a goal.
Many people find lasting happiness begins from within and is not acquired from external circumstances. Others might spend the present moment waiting for something to change to “make” them happy. They may be disappointed if their feelings don’t change when their goals happen. Instead of anticipating the future, consider taking a deep breath, be grateful for what’s happening now, and find present-moment changes you can make to increase your joy each day. In time, you might find that you have a myriad of positive situations in your life that you didn’t have previously.
7. Improve your physical health
Physical health can have a significant impact on your mental health, including your ability to feel happy. What improves one’s physical health can vary from person to person, and what works best for you may not be the same as someone else. However, a few ways to start caring for your body can include the following:
- Practicing healthy sleep hygiene
- Eating nutritious foods that optimally support your body’s functioning
- Getting regular exercise that challenges you but isn’t too much too quickly
8. Practice gratitude
People who struggle with symptoms of depression sometimes have difficulty finding the areas in life that they’re thankful for, and the pressure to feel gratitude can worsen symptoms. However, by staying vigilant, you may be able to spark feelings of gratitude throughout your day. For example, a relationship with a beloved pet, clear weather, and an act of kindness from another person are all areas that can cultivate thankfulness. If you find it challenging to start practicing gratitude or derive happiness from gratitude, journaling about the more positive events you encounter and how you feel about them may help.
9. Ask for professional and mental health support
If you feel like you’re constantly chasing happiness but struggling to find it, you might benefit from speaking to a therapist. You can also consider a support group for others experiencing similar concerns, especially if you’ve been through an adverse event or are grieving. However, if you believe you might be experiencing a more profound concern, like a mental illness or chronic stress, a therapist can offer the support you seek and walk you through key principles of positive psychology.
Efficacy of online therapy for those who need mental health support
Traveling to and from a therapist’s office and speaking to someone in-person can seem like an overwhelming challenge for some. However, this factor doesn’t necessarily have to be a barrier to treatment. Online therapy is one option that makes sense for people who need professional and mental heealth support but have availability and schedule limitations.
Through a platform like BetterHelp, you can find therapists and counselors qualified to treat symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health difficulties. Online therapy has been found as effective as in-person therapy, and you can get support from anywhere with an internet connection on your schedule. In addition, you can attend therapy from home if you struggle with getting out of bed or meeting professionals in person.
Struggling to find happiness?
Takeaway
Finding joy in daily life can be challenging, but there are a few tips to consider when looking to increase your happiness. If you continue to struggle with happiness, consider contacting a therapist for guidance. At times, a lack of happiness or hope for the future can be a sign of a mental illness like a depressive disorder. Therapy can help you develop further self-care skills to cope with these feelings and devise a complete treatment plan.
What is the importance of happiness in our daily life?
Leading a happier life is an important goal for many people. For some, achieving high life satisfaction and joy may seem like the ultimate accomplishment. Others may not see happiness as essential or necessary, perhaps viewing it as a temporary state that is more elusive than described.
While feelings of euphoria and elation tend to be short-lived, happiness is commonly considered to be a long-term state associated with a sense of purpose, meaningful interpersonal connections, and resiliency. Happiness is associated with long-term health benefits, like better heart health and adherence to medical routines. It is also associated with better immune system function and overall stress reduction.
Happiness is also strongly correlated with benefits unrelated to physical health, like higher productivity, better social relationships, and improved cognitive function. Improved mental and physical health may be one reason why happiness is so closely associated with success and achievement. Positivity, optimism, and resilience are likely all important for overall well-being.
What is more important, success or happiness?
Research has revealed that happiness and success are frequently associated with one another. However, there is still a debate regarding whether happiness promotes success or if success leads to greater happiness. Although the debate of whether success or happiness is more important continues, it has become increasingly apparent that a third factor may be at play that influences both.
A psychological concept, the happiness paradox, raises questions about how happiness and success are achieved. The paradox states that the more a person pursues happiness directly, the less likely they are to achieve it. “Being happy” is a broad, abstract goal, and it is difficult to map a route to achieving it. Evidence suggests that focusing on concrete goals, like skill development and improving self-esteem, is more likely to make a person feel happy.
It is possible that success follows a similar theme. Focusing on concrete goals is likely to lead to more favorable outcomes rather than focusing on abstract notions of success or distant goals. Although it is challenging to say which is more important, success or happiness, another contender may be the true superstar when it comes to finding happiness and success: positivity. Prioritizing positive feelings and adopting an optimistic mindset are associated with both happiness and success. Happy and successful people may be more willing to adopt a positive attitude.
What brings the most happiness in life?
Each person has a unique understanding of their own happiness. While happiness is commonly defined as a consistent state of satisfaction, contentment, and optimism, many people consider joy, elation, and euphoria equally important. Because of this, it is not possible to say exactly what brings the most happiness, but some common themes may provide insight.
The longest-running study on happiness in the United States suggests that strong relationships and engagement with the community are some of the most consistent predictors of whether or not a person experiences happiness. Adults who had fulfilling relationships with romantic partners, family, and friends tended to report higher levels of happiness, positivity, and optimism than those who were lonelier.
Social relationships as one of the key elements of happiness
Research into loneliness corroborates the notion that strong social relationships are one of the key elements of happiness. Chronic loneliness is known to cause significant adverse physical and mental health effects. Loneliness increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, likely due to the absence of stress-reducing social interaction. It is also associated with poorer health behaviors, meaning lonely people care less for their physical health. Mentally, loneliness is associated with depression, anxiety, and increased stress.
How do people live a good life to achieve happiness or be successful?
There is no consensus regarding what constitutes a “good life.” That definition will differ considerably from person to person, based on their lived experiences and moral identity. Similarly, happiness and success can have drastically different definitions based on who is defining them. However, despite inconsistent definitions, some common themes appear.
Success, more than happiness, tends to be associated with material wealth. However, evidence suggests that material objects are not a good source of happiness, and those who pursue materialistic lifestyles are less likely to be happy than those who don’t. Still, material success can provide stability, an important part of achieving happiness. Balancing material pursuits with joyful experiences and rich interpersonal connections is likely a crucial part of achieving both happiness and success.
Is happiness the greatest good in life?
The concept of “happiness as the greatest good” is often attributed to Aristotle. He critically examined happiness extensively in book one of Nicomachean Ethics, which he authored. He distinguished two types of happiness: hedonia, or pleasurable experiences, and eudaimonia, or a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Hedonia and eudaimonia
Pure hedonists believe that happiness is derived from pleasure alone. Hedonism has long been associated with only physical pleasures, but hedonism also refers to pleasure derived from admiration, friendship, and intellectual pursuits. In contrast, eudaimonia represents an intangible concept. It is often defined as “a life lived in accordance with virtue,” in this case referring to the virtues of the person living the life, not society as a whole.
Aristotle and other followers of eudaimonism believe that happiness is contextual and relative. For example, a hedonism might suggest that happiness can be derived from any pleasurable act, such as eating delicious food. However, eudaimonism would suggest that it is possible to overeat and ultimately reduce happiness. True happiness, the “greatest good,” comes from balancing restriction and indulgence.
Why is happiness more important than wealth?
Although wealth is frequently associated with success in modern society, and success goes hand-in-hand with happiness, evidence suggests that pursuing wealth and other material gains, like chasing a large living space or expensive car, will likely lead to less happiness overall. A balance likely exists between material and non-material pursuits that maximizes happiness.
For example, someone with almost no wealth and living in poverty usually has to overcome significant barriers to happiness. While someone with excessive wealth doesn’t have the same barriers, that person may struggle to prioritize happiness and instead disregard it for more material gains. Research on happiness suggests that once a person has accumulated enough wealth to achieve stability and reduce financial stress, more money is unlikely to make them happier, and pursuing more wealth may reduce happiness.
How can I be happy all the time?
Part of long-term happiness is accepting that you cannot always be happy. Sadness and anger are both normal responses to adverse situations and learning how to accept and manage those emotions is a crucial part of being happy. Trying to be happy all the time might also inadvertently prevent your happiness. The happiness paradox states that those who try to achieve happiness directly are less likely to obtain it.
Instead of focusing on a broad goal like “being happy,” experts recommend focusing on concrete and achievable goals that are associated with good well-being. One research study suggested that the best way to find long-term happiness is by investing in your close relationships, and another indicated that prioritizing positivity is likely to increase your chances for happiness and success. You will also likely see benefits if you establish good habits related to health, like adopting an exercise routine or establishing a sleep routine to avoid sleep deprivation.
How can I live a simple life and be happy?
Being happy can sometimes seem more complex than it really is. Here are a few tips for happiness in daily life:
Focus on the present
Thinking too much about the future might lead to worry and anxiety while thinking too much about the past might bring up former regrets. It’s important to occasionally think about the future to plan and about the past to grow, but try to keep most of your focus on the present moment.
Notice pleasurable experiences
It can be easy to disregard joyful experiences or become distracted. Next time you’re enjoying an experience, take time to notice it 100% and incorporate it into your place of inner peace.
Practice gratitude
Take time each day to think of something positive and be thankful for it. Evidence indicates that regularly feeling grateful for the good things in your life will likely increase happiness and emotional well-being.
Experience peace
Go out into nature or green space and use breath control to release negativity through long, deep breaths. Try thinking of happy memories and other positive thoughts in a peaceful and unobtrusive environment.
What can happiness do to a person?
Happiness can potentially make a person kinder, more successful, and healthier. Long-term happiness is associated with improved stress reduction and increased resilience. Happy people have bad days and experience adverse situations, but happiness and a positive attitude help make them more manageable. Happiness can also improve your social relationships and bring more joy from interaction with others.
Happiness is also likely to lead to good health. Happy people are less likely to experience cardiovascular problems, have better immune systems, engage in better health behaviors, and live longer overall.
How is happiness better than success?
Happiness and success are strongly correlated. However, success is often associated with material wealth, which is not likely to increase happiness. It is likely that the attitudes and behaviors that promote happiness also make success more likely, like positivity and optimism. Evidence also suggests a limit to how much happiness comes from success; material possessions likely provide more happiness if a person does not already have much in the way of material wealth.
Benefits of prioritizing and finding happiness
Prioritizing happiness could lead to improved health, better social relationships, increased productivity, and lowered stress, all of which may help a person become successful. It may be worthwhile to pursue positivity and other happiness-producing attitudes and outlooks.
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